This invention relates generally to the input command processing and more particularly to acoustic and/or gesture input command processing.
Entertainment devices such as computers, televisions, DVD players, video cassette recorders, stereos, amplifiers, radios, satellite receivers, cable boxes, etc., include user input processing devices to receive inputs from users to adjust and/or control certain operations of the entertainment device. For example, a computer has a mouse and a keyboard for receiving user inputs that are subsequently processed by the central processing unit. In addition, the computer may include voice recognition software and a microphone to receive audio or speech input commands and, via the voice recognition software, processes the input commands in a similar fashion as it processes commands from a mouse or keyboard.
Other entertainment devices, such as televisions, receivers, and VCRs, receive input commands via a wireless remote control, which transmits digital signals via an infrared transmission path. The infrared transmission path uses a particular form of modulation such as amplitude shift keying, slow infrared or fast infrared. An alternative wireless input command device would use radio frequency transmissions wherein the signals are modulated via amplitude modulation and/or frequency modulation. Upon receiving the wireless command, the entertainment device processes the command to execute it.
User command devices, (e.g., a mouse, a keyboard, a wireless remote control) utilize a manufactured predefined set of commands to evoke a particular response from the entertainment device. For example, when a particular button is pressed on a remote controller, a predefined digital code is generated and transmitted to the entertainment device. As such, the user has little flexibility in customizing the command input with a corresponding function. Voice recognition provides a user more flexibility in customizing inputs to the entertainment device to perform particular functions. For example, a user may train the voice recognition software to recognize a particular vocal command to initiate a desired function.
Advances have been made with respect to input command devices, especially for a handicap user. In particular, input devices have been developed to recognize eye movements to evoke a particular command. As such, a user may focus his or her eyes on a particular portion of the screen wherein a visual receiving device tracks the eye movement to determine the particular screen location being focused on. Having made this determination, the input device functions as any other input device in providing commands to the central processing unit.
While voice recognition and certain eye movement tracking techniques have provided flexibility in providing input commands to entertainment devices, combinations of such audio and visual inputs have not been produced. Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for providing acoustic and/or gesture inputs to an entertainment device.